


Bjorn Meets Brienne, or The Wrath of Pod

by grayspider1974



Category: Vikings/Game of Thrones
Genre: Other, what it means to have sisu
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-06
Updated: 2016-07-06
Packaged: 2018-07-21 23:34:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 995
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7409566
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/grayspider1974/pseuds/grayspider1974
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>a Vikings/Game of Thrones crossover about mercy, human decency and sisu</p>
            </blockquote>





	Bjorn Meets Brienne, or The Wrath of Pod

**Author's Note:**

> I have no idea why Brienne and Pod would be wandering around England, but here they are. I think it's time Bjorn met a woman who was more like himself than any of the women on Vikings...and there's a weird resemblance between Alexander Ludwig and Gwendolyn Parks, especially two seasons back when they had nearly identical haircuts. They're both brave warriors, and they both have sisu. Also, in the Song of Ice and Fire books, Pod stutters...they don't have it in the TV show, but I put it back in. This is a slightly non-canonical version of how Thorunn literally "lost face"

"If winter is coming as the Starks are always so keen to remind us," said Brienne "then why is it so hot and sticky?"  
"D...dunno, Ma'am...and you've still got bits of blood and brains in your hair."  
Brienne sighed. "That bit at the last village was pretty rough. Those poor women! What kind of beast does that to defenceless civilians?"  
"A...a human, Ma'am. Sad to say it, but it's true. Well, you got some of them. North or South it doesn't matter 'cos they're dead."  
Brienne shuddered, then brightened. "Pod, look...there's a chestnut grove by the lake. Not only that, but there don't seem to be any corpses floating in it."  
"We've still got some apples," said Pod. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"  
"I'm thinking of jumping into that lake and washing off some of this mess," said Brienne. "What were you thinking?"  
"B...breakfast. Roasted apples and chestnuts would be nice."  
Brienne laughed for the first time in a month. "That too, Pod...but keep watch."

Brienne paddled out into the lake far enough that she could tread water. It was good to be out of that suit of ironmongery that had been given to her by Lord Tyrion...she knew it was necessary, but armour was heavy and hot and chafed in the most uncomfortable places. She dipped her head under water, and wished that she had soap. She saw Pod puttering about on the shore collecting chestnuts, cleaning tack, scrubbing down her amour and sharpening Oathkeeper for her, and smiled. Pod was a good lad. Brienne dipped again, and when she surfaced, she heard Pod scream, his voice cracking and then dropping to an elephantine roar.  
"L...l...leave Lady Brienne's things alone you b...b...b...BASTARD!"   
Brienne blinked water out of her eyes and saw Pod struggling with two people, a young man and a girl who were not wearing the colours of any House. Brienne could see that the girl had taffy-blonde hair and would have been unusually pretty before Poderick had lobbed a chestnut at her and smashed in her face. The girl was dressed in fighting leathers, even though she was four or five months pregnant and had no business going anywhere near a battlefields...indeed, it was painfully obvious that the girl was no great fighter because Poderick had flattened her. Her companion, on the other hand, was a young man roughly the size of the Mountain with hair the colour of fresh butter. Brienne could not see his face, but he had a massively muscled back and more importantly he was preparing to use Oathkeeper to lop off Pod's head.  
"Mother have mercy!" Brienne thought.  
Without armour, she was unprotected but could move silently and fast, and she was able to get the young man in a sleeper hod before his girl friend could warn him. The girl watched in horror as her companion dropped Oathkeeper and began to crumple.  
Pod smirked, and picked up Oathkeeper.  
"Leave her, Pd." said Brienne "She's pregnant."  
"Sh...she's with him," said Pod. "They...they...they may be with the people who...who..."  
"We don't know if they are or they are not," said Brienne. "And even if they are, you and I are not That Sort of People. We don't kill pregnant women or..." She turned to the blonde girl, who had gathered a large handful of moss and pressed it to her face to stop the bleeding. "Is this your husband?" Brienne asked "Did he?" She pointed with her chin at the girl's protruding stomach.  
The girl's answer was not in Westerosi, or in any language that Brienne knew, but she guessed she had been right.  
"Well, he's an idiot for bringing you with him to war," said Brienne. "But it's not right to make you a widow because of it." She laid the young man down on the pebble beach, and saw that he had passed out and would probably have a nasty bruise on his neck, but he was otherwise unharmed. He had a truly lovely face. Brienne had met two men famed for their handsomeness. One had been Jaime Lannister, who had been considerably older than this boy and had a smarmy, oily look to him that revealed his terrible personality. The other had been King Renly, who had been dazzling but rather effeminate. This boy was younger, and still had an adolescent fuzz on his cheeks and (at least in repose) his face had an alabaster purity that neither the Kingslayer nor King Renly had possessed. For all Brienne knew he probably was a cold-blooded and ruthless murderer, but it was difficult to believe that he was responsible for the carnage she had seen at the last village.  
"Bee-orn?" the pregnant girl asked. Brienne guessed that it was the young man's name.  
"I am Brienne," said Brienne "From Tarth." She picked up Oathkeeper. "I have got to go," she said. "Poderick, please apologise for what you've done to this girl's face."  
Pod harrumphed. "I don't think saying sorry will do her any good, and I'm not sorry. Her boyfriend was going to kill me.  
Brienne gave him a Meaningful Look.  
"Okay," said Pod. "I'm sorry I mashed your face...though you should have told your overgrown boyfriend not to mess with Lady Brienne's things. She's a..a LADY. She's worth twenty of you." He nodded at the young man. "All the same, I hope he doesn't leave you. If he does, he's an...an arsehole. Only an arsehole bugs out on someone they've started a family with."  
"Come along now, Poderick," said Brienne. "I need a little help getting into my armour, and we need to find another camp before it gets too dark. Take the chestnuts, too."  
Pod helped Brienne into her armour and back up on to her horse. He smiled faintly. "Brienne is my lady, and she's a true blue lady. Her colours don't run..."


End file.
